Last summer, the Golden State Warriors made a number of roster moves as they looked to regroup after Kevin Durant’s injury and subsequent departure to the Brooklyn Nets. One of the deals involved sending Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies, which has started all sorts of drama.
The veteran made it clear immediately that he had no interest in playing for the Grizzlies and wanted to get to a contender. He didn’t report to training camp and has spent the season working out on his own while he waits to see how things will play out. There are plenty of teams that would love to have him but they are reluctant to give away assets in a trade and would prefer to wait for a buy out. So far, however, the Grizzlies have been adamant that they won’t let Iguodala walk.
That’s left things in a stalemate, and according to a report from The Athletic’s David Aldridge on Monday, Iguodala is willing to sit out the season rather than play for the Grizzlies. If they aren’t able to facilitate a trade before the deadline on Feb. 6, then we won’t see Iguodala this season. While there are valid reasons for both parties here, we haven’t heard what the other players on the Grizzlies think about the situation. At least not until Monday night.
Following a dominant 96-82 win over the Detroit Pistons — their fifth in six games — Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant each made it clear how they feel about the situation.
“First time I seen him was on TV talking about us,” Brooks said. “It doesn’t even matter. Andre Iguodala is a great player. I feel like he’s doing the right thing for his career, but we don’t really care. It’s not a distraction at all. I laugh at that type of stuff. A guy that’s on our team that doesn’t want to be on our team, I can’t wait til we find a way to trade him so we can play him and show him what really Memphis is about.”
Although Brooks was emphatic but respectful of Iguodala’s resume, Morant took a more emotional approach. First he echoed Brooks’ comments.
And then went on to favorite a tweet saying “F— Iguodala.”
Iguodala preferring to play for a contending team is an understandable position at this point in his career, but it’s also pretty clear why the Grizzlies would be so bothered by this situation. A veteran and key player from a number of title teams looked at them and turned away in disgust, choosing to work out by himself rather than join them in training camp.
And now, the young Grizzlies have turned themselves into a potential playoff team all on their own. At 25-25, they’re in eighth place in the Western Conference with a two-game lead on the ninth-place Portland Trail Blazers. Are they a contender? Of course not, but they proved they have a bright future and are right to feel disrespected by Iguodala.
